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Stalker 2 is nothing short of a miracle. Developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World over the course of seven years amid a pandemic and a war -- among many other challenges -- Stalker 2 is a labor of love and the best type of sequel one could hope for. While many long-running franchises have strayed from their roots in an (often misguided) attempt to appeal to as many players as possible, Stalker 2 knows its core audience well and delivers exactly the type of game we were hoping for.
While notable absentees and a glaring lack of 21st century representation are hard to miss, Digital Eclipse's third entry in the Gold Master Series with Tetris Forever still stands as a welcome, at times eye-opening, look-back on the legacy of one of gaming's greatest IPs. A staunch reminder as to the simplicity, addiction and clever, mechanical wit at the heart of the falling-block premise. A premise whose game selection, while flawed, still carries with it an interesting look back on the many ways, good and bad, Tetris aimed to evolve and refine itself over the many years. Though it may retread old ground in parts, it's the wealth of material as much the care for the smaller details, where Digital Eclipse's reverence is most strongly felt. Not as complete or as comprehensive as one might've liked, Tetris Forever is still nonetheless a pleasant, worthwhile look back on one of gaming's and indeed all of culture's most-prized creations.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership succeeds at creating a loyal sequel to the previous installments in the franchise, but fails to successfully bring that franchise to the level of quality synonymous with Nintendo's console games. Slow progression, major quality-of-life issues and unbearably-boring lengths of dialogue and gameplay heavily bog down this fun and lighthearted turn-based RPG, with the final product ending up as a 50-50 split of soul-sucking boredom and family-friendly fun.
Sorry We're Closed beautifully takes that otherworldly psychological horror of games such as Silent Hill and puts its own colorful spin on things, resulting in a game filled with an eye-popping visual style, a terrific story with a clever look at relationships via angels and demons, and an amazing cast of characters, including one truly memorable and unsettling villain, alongside a lot of other surreal and spooky moments. While the combat may be a tad frustrating later on, it all still makes for a great entry into the genre and definitely one to pick up.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is how a classic game should be remade. The new graphics style brings Dragon Quest III into the modern era while maintaining the original iconic designs. The quality-of-life improvements also make the 36-year-old game feel modern without sacrificing the core elements of the original experience.
Is LEGO Horizon Adventures a fun-filled LEGO adventure by a different developer or should LEGO leave their game development to Traveller's Tales?
Despite a disappointing setlist, Just Dance 2025 Edition still delivers on the fun of the pastime. Some of the choreography can be too complicated for its own good, but there are some tracks that stand out with easier to follow moves like "Paint the Town Red" and "Vogue" by Madonna. The visuals are also striking, while the inclusion of multiple difficulties within some songs is a step in the right direction.
When all is said and done, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a solid experience. It's flashy, pretty and entertaining, standing out through the combat and environments. It no longer feels like this sprawling world that we explore and save from the brink of destruction, but rather a small pocket that needs constant supervision. This is a more on-the-rails experience when compared to any of the past Dragon Age games. Considering the struggles that Bioware has undergone since Dragon Age: Inquisition, however, it's still awesome that we received a game of this quality. It doesn’t share much in terms of style and gameplay, but we do see characters we love again in a beautiful world and fun combat. It isn’t the most mind-blowing entry to the series and does play it safe, but it's still a good game. The combat and soundtrack are solid, the environments are gorgeous and the game is still filled with a ton of world-building.
Techtonica is more story-oriented than most games of its type, but it's still an automation game with a good hundred hours of assembly and debugging.
To quote the Metal Slug series' now-iconic POWs, "Thank you!!"
Bokeh Game Studio's Slitterhead shows a lot of promise in terms of its unique possession action gameplay, direction, music and overall plot. It’s fun, electric and unlike any other game. New IPs are the lifeblood of the industry and the game is a key example of keeping that saying alive. The reliance on narrative tropes, graphical inconsistencies and dialogue-heavy exposition, however, do keep the title from reaching the heights it seemed destined to climb.
Players looking for a sci-fi retro shooter experience with a bit of modernization will no doubt enjoy Rogue Flight out of the box. The replayability comes into question as it comes off more grindy than an arcade shooter or the unlockable roguelike mode should. The visuals and the experience along with the voice acting are superb, while the soundtrack is fantastic and most fans of this genre will enjoy the music alone. The steep PC requirements for an indie title may hurt this in the end, though.
There’s a good reason why Treyarch and Black Ops are so beloved by the Call of Duty community. The sub-franchise usually delivers the stronger campaigns, multiplayer and third modes in the series. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 does all of those things, especially when compared to the more recent Call of Dutys. The campaign, from Raven Software, may drop the ball at the end with its story, but it’s filled with fantastic characters and a wide variety of missions that help elevate it into must-play territory.
Of course, credit goes to Guerrilla Games for writing a narrative and building out gameplay that remains interesting and engaging seven years on. At $49.99 for new players and $9.99 for owners of the PS4 or PC versions, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s overhauled visuals feel like a steal.
Whatever promise Life is Strange: Double Exposure has, be it in its beautiful setting, fun and likable characters, or its intriguing setup, ends up being undermined by a scattershot narrative that never comes together. And unfortunately, with a lack of any substantial gameplay or meaningful choices, that leaves this as just a so-so adventure game at best, and what is arguably the lowest-ranking game in the series. Hopefully Life is Strange can rebound back, but for now, it's not a pretty picture.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a refined version of the 2011 cult classic. The visuals are smoother, the game mechanics feel more natural, but aside from the minor face lift and some new costumes, this is exactly how we remember it. Outside of New Game+, all the changes and updates to Shadows of the Damned ar minor. This is great news for purists who love the original how it is, but it also makes some mechanics feel dated. For players who are fine with average game mechanics and enjoy juvenile humor, however, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered remains a good enough time that's worth revisiting. It might not be an incredibly deep game, but there's still something satisfying about decapitating demons with a sentient shotgun.
Amanda the Adventurer 2 is a fun adventure title that delivers solid puzzles, great performances and a nice mixture of dread and humor, but a few sloppy decisions and a lack of anything substantial in either the gameplay or story areas hold it back. Still, if you can get past those issues (and the first puzzle), there's a nice, quick romp through an eerie library here that's worth checking out. If nothing else, at least the true ending will leave fans properly hooked for more games to come.
The Smurfs - Dreams is a delightful platformer and a fantastic pickup for anyone who loves Mario 3D Land or 3D World. This is very much inspired by it on a surface level, but with more rhythm to its platforming action. It's a trickier game than one might expect given the license, which has usually been used in simpler, less-challenging games. It plays nicely across the board and doesn't have a lot of flaws in its gameplay beyond having a set formula that changes up based on the weapons you have access to in the stage itself and a soundtrack that's hit or miss.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead takes an interesting concept and fails to reach the mark, fizzling out into mediocrity before even getting started. The goal of remaining quiet is portrayed well with several successful mechanics (opening doors slowly, watching where you step), but becomes boring as the game fails to create engaging challenges while plummeting in quality. Fans of the franchise will get a kick out of this adaptation for the first few hours, but it's hard to imagine many players sticking around until the ending.
Cozy Game Pals have truly crafted one outstanding ode to classic survival horror games with Fear the Spotlight. It perfectly finds a balance between an atmosphere and story that are all suitably creepy, core stealth gameplay that features one impressive, imposing monster while never frustrating the player, and a terrific use of old-school touches like nifty puzzle that wouldn't feel out of place in the likes of Silent Hill. It's the type of horror game that perfectly keeps you on edge throughout all of it, then leaves you walking away feeling refreshed and satisfied. It's an impressive show and one that players need to check out.